A mass shooting at a downtown Minneapolis high-rise apartment building left two civilians and the suspected gunman dead.
The gunfire inside the Loring Towers building also resulted in injuries to three police officers and three civilians.
In addition, four responding officers experienced adverse effects after being exposed to an unknown airborne substance.
Two other officers were hurt when their squad car crashed while responding to the emergency.
The suspect was identified as 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson, who lived on the ninth floor and was facing eviction.
Court records show that Johnson’s lease was terminated after multiple incidents, including showing a gun to staff and assaulting a resident in March.
On June 19, the suspect allegedly made concerning verbal statements about using a firearm to a security officer while flashing his gun.
The suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene, per WCCO.
Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Bill Peterson spoke about the extreme danger and praised the immediate actions of his staff.
Highlighting the immense danger faced by officers, Chief Peterson stated, “our officers have shown that they are willing and they do respond and run towards gunfire when others are running from it.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also emphasized the dangerous nature of the incident and commended the bravery of the responding personnel.
Describing the response as nothing short of heroic, Mayor Frey stated, “they rescued victims, brought people to safety, helped get approximately four people to the hospital, all while getting shot at themselves,” Fox 9 reported.
Several blocks around the apartment building were closed for hours while law enforcement agencies from multiple cities assisted at the scene.